3 Shadow Wars You Might Not Even Know About

War is not always about people in uniforms firing missiles and bullets—just look at Russia's actions against Ukraine. There are other simmering examples of shadowy geopolitical combat around the world, combat cloaked in secrecy and plausible deniability.

China vs Vietnam

In a disputed patch of the Pacific Ocean, the appearance of an oil rig has sparked an international crisis—and a rash of ships ramming one other. Why spar over a stretch of outwardly useless atolls and islands in the South China Sea? The natural resources and geography of the islands makes them valuable and worth contesting.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Other nations in the region claim this turf, but Vietnam and China are particularly on edge, as they fought over the islands as recently as the 1980s in an ugly battle of amphibious landings and naval combat—the Johnson South Reef Skirmish. (The Chinese won, killing about 70.) This year's appearance of a Chinese oil rig sparked riots and attacks on Chinese businesses in Vietnam. At sea, things are just as bad. Videos of Chinese commercial ships ramming Vietnamese fishing vessels have emerged; at least one boat sank. Meanwhile, the Chinese have accused Vietnam of ramming their ships more than 1400 times. "Vietnam also sent frogmen and other underwater agents to the area and dropped large numbers of obstacles, including fishing nets and floating objects, in the waters," one Chinese statement says (without citing any actual evidence).

Both sides are sending dozes of unarmed ships to play bumper-boats as a foreign policy tool. But neither country wants open warfare. The bilateral trade of the two neighbors totaled $65.5 billion in 2013.

Saudi Arabia vs Iran

Saudi Arabia sees the influence of rival Iran growing all around the Persian Gulf. Iraq, once a bulwark against the Ayatollah, is now home to Iranian-backed militias and political groups. Iran ally Bashar al Assad has survived the Syrian civil war. And then there's a little-discussed flashpoint in the Saudi province of Asir, which borders Yemen, where Shi'ite rebels called the Houthi have been attacking Saudi border guards, killing Yemeni troops, and marching over rival domestic groups. The Saudis, who in 2009 fought the Houthi on Yemeni soil, accuse Iran of providing weapons and support to this fringe group.

To fight back, Saudis are using their shadow network of money and weapons to thwart Iranian interests. The Saudis are probably the chief conduit through which U.S. antitank missiles have been entering Syria. Iran and Iraq have accused Saudi Arabia of supporting a Sunni revolt in the Iraqi province of Anbar. That claim may be an exaggeration, but mainstream Sunnis there are begging for help.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Saudi Arabia's biggest recent move to counter Iran has come in Egypt. With staunch ally Hosni Mubarak removed from power, the Saudis very much want to see Egypt's declared President-elect Abdel Fattah el-Sisi entrenched in power to stop the democratically elected Islamist political parties in Egypt, and thereby deal Iran a setback. The Saudi tool to support Egypt? Money. Saudi Arabia is passing the hat around to friendly Gulf states, and pouring the cash into the struggling Egyptian economy. News reports indicate that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are readying an aid package of $20 billion. A planned donor conference could raise even more.

Some see this Saudi Arabia–Iran struggle for dominance as a budding cold war. Like the U.S.–USSR version, it is a shadow war of proxy groups, big money, and exported violence. Recent talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which acknowledged el-Sisi's election, hint at a détente. Then again, Egyptian media is percolating with rumors of an Iranian-funded insurgent group called the Free Egyptian Army training in Syria to launch operations against the Egyptian government.

United States vs African Terrorist Groups

It's no longer en vogue to discuss the "global war on terror" in Washington, D.C. But the U.S. still wages that war in a smaller fashion. The latest front is Africa, where Islamist groups are bombing, kidnapping, ambushing, and destabilizing their way into becoming a serious global threat. From the Central African Republic to Mali to the Horn of Africa, groups are springing up, gaining adherents, and even seizing territory.

The American plan in Africa is to train counterterrorism military units to oppose these groups. The Pentagon is spending nearly $70 million on training, intelligence-gathering equipment, and other support to various nations. For example, Niger will get $15 million to create a counterterrorism battalion.

These plans are risky. One worry is that the units will be too aggressive and cause human rights violations; these kinds of accusations dogged U.S.-trained units in Latin America. Another worry is that the training won't be sufficient and that the units won't be a match for well-armed and motivated insurgents. But no matter how bad things get here, don't expect the U.S. to commit troops beyond these training missions, or to begin drone flights.

Clearly, the Obama administration sees this approach as the future of counterterrorism. The White House in May asked Congress to approve a $5 billion fund to train and equip other nations, including those in Africa and Asia, to fight terrorist groups. But support is lukewarm on Capitol Hill, chiefly over the proposal's unclear mandate and lack of specifics.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Popular Mechanics participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.